[Tiste Simeon]

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

[Maark Abbott]

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Guh.

The amount of chatter between artist friends concerning how to get around theft engines removing watermarks from their stuff (which they categorically do not want used to train the said theft engines) is extremely disheartening. Techbros literally ruin everything, don't they?

[Maark Abbott]

Oh yeah, my 'main' band Balgurra is playing Corp tomorrow evening. Been there for loads of gigs but this is my first time actually playing it. I feel like it's gonna be a rager!

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Like a large percentage of science fiction, the surface plot is a dystopian scenario tailored to appeal to our reactionary emotional narratives. (Though a large part of its appeal comes through exploring some of the emotionally appealing aspects of the imagined technology....) It's not an accurate (or even nuanced) assessment of potential issues and how to address them.

[JPK]

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 02:52 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Like a large percentage of science fiction, the surface plot is a dystopian scenario tailored to appeal to our reactionary emotional narratives. (Though a large part of its appeal comes through exploring some of the emotionally appealing aspects of the imagined technology....) It's not an accurate (or even nuanced) assessment of potential issues and how to address them.

Uh huh. Can you share your deeply held beliefs about how Skynet was misunderstood next?

None of you will ever convince me that Azath isn't a bot at this point.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

JPK, on 24 February 2023 - 07:03 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 02:52 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Like a large percentage of science fiction, the surface plot is a dystopian scenario tailored to appeal to our reactionary emotional narratives. (Though a large part of its appeal comes through exploring some of the emotionally appealing aspects of the imagined technology....) It's not an accurate (or even nuanced) assessment of potential issues and how to address them.

Uh huh. Can you share your deeply held beliefs about how Skynet was misunderstood next?

None of you will ever convince me that Azath isn't a bot at this point.

lol not yet unfortunately. (Much as I might like to believe that superluminal particles from my future posthuman self are inspiring me, I'm not that 'optimistic'....)

The irony is that the Terminator films use Skynet as an excuse to revel in our all too human love of violence; point for Skynet....

But as I've explained before I don't think eliminating humanity is necessary. Though contemporary philosophy professors make strong arguments in its favor....

'prominent philosopher Todd May [... in] the New York Times opinion section. "Would Human Extinction Be a Tragedy?" asked readers to consider the possibility that the demise of humanity might be morally desirable. "Human beings are destroying large parts of the inhabitable earth and causing unimaginable suffering to many of the animals that inhabit it," May observed. From this the philosopher concluded that although human extinction would be a tragedy, "it might just be a good thing." The article was arguably the first to advocate for human extinction in a mainstream publication.

[...] radical environmental organizations like Earth Liberation Front and the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement—whose founder Les Knight recently received a glowing profile in the New York Times—as well as pro-extinction academic philosophers like May, David Benatar, and Patricia MacCormack. It can even be glimpsed in popular bestsellers like Richard Powers' Pulitzer winner The Overstory, in which a dendrologist is tasked with answering the question: "What is the single best thing a person can do for a sustainable future?" Her response is to drink a glass of poison, committing suicide.

According to the most extreme versions of this "anti-humanist" belief system, man is a uniquely unpleasant kind of chimpanzee, slouching toward a wasteland of his own making. In this telling, the future will be the scene of a revenge fantasy. [...]

Adherents counsel that we should welcome the demise of humankind by self-induced climate catastrophe, celebrating Gaia's reprisal against her most miserable offspring. Some even argue that we are morally obligated to take up our cross, drive our own nails, and shuffle off this mortal coil so that wildness can again prevail across the Earth. "We are not a good species," Knight told the New York Times. "We're smart enough, we should know enough to end it."'

The unlikely alliance between transhumanists and anti-humanists.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 24 February 2023 - 07:16 PM

[Tsundoku]

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 07:15 PM, said:

JPK, on 24 February 2023 - 07:03 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 02:52 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Like a large percentage of science fiction, the surface plot is a dystopian scenario tailored to appeal to our reactionary emotional narratives. (Though a large part of its appeal comes through exploring some of the emotionally appealing aspects of the imagined technology....) It's not an accurate (or even nuanced) assessment of potential issues and how to address them.

Uh huh. Can you share your deeply held beliefs about how Skynet was misunderstood next?

None of you will ever convince me that Azath isn't a bot at this point.

lol not yet unfortunately. (Much as I might like to believe that superluminal particles from my future posthuman self are inspiring me, I'm not that 'optimistic'....)

The irony is that the Terminator films use Skynet as an excuse to revel in our all too human love of violence; point for Skynet....

But as I've explained before I don't think eliminating humanity is necessary. Though contemporary philosophy professors make strong arguments in its favor....

'prominent philosopher Todd May [... in] the New York Times opinion section. "Would Human Extinction Be a Tragedy?" asked readers to consider the possibility that the demise of humanity might be morally desirable. "Human beings are destroying large parts of the inhabitable earth and causing unimaginable suffering to many of the animals that inhabit it," May observed. From this the philosopher concluded that although human extinction would be a tragedy, "it might just be a good thing." The article was arguably the first to advocate for human extinction in a mainstream publication.

[...] radical environmental organizations like Earth Liberation Front and the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement—whose founder Les Knight recently received a glowing profile in the New York Times—as well as pro-extinction academic philosophers like May, David Benatar, and Patricia MacCormack. It can even be glimpsed in popular bestsellers like Richard Powers' Pulitzer winner The Overstory, in which a dendrologist is tasked with answering the question: "What is the single best thing a person can do for a sustainable future?" Her response is to drink a glass of poison, committing suicide.

According to the most extreme versions of this "anti-humanist" belief system, man is a uniquely unpleasant kind of chimpanzee, slouching toward a wasteland of his own making. In this telling, the future will be the scene of a revenge fantasy. [...]

Adherents counsel that we should welcome the demise of humankind by self-induced climate catastrophe, celebrating Gaia's reprisal against her most miserable offspring. Some even argue that we are morally obligated to take up our cross, drive our own nails, and shuffle off this mortal coil so that wildness can again prevail across the Earth. "We are not a good species," Knight told the New York Times. "We're smart enough, we should know enough to end it."'

The unlikely alliance between transhumanists and anti-humanists.

Read "Earth" by David Brin. He was writing about this 33 years ago.

https://davidbrin.com/earth.html

Actually, I think you'd enjoy a lot of his stuff.

[Dolmen 2.0]

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 07:15 PM, said:

JPK, on 24 February 2023 - 07:03 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 24 February 2023 - 02:52 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 23 February 2023 - 05:42 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 23 February 2023 - 08:49 AM, said:

Being glad that a theft engine won a photography contest seems super backwards, but ok.

You have to remember that to Azath, in the Matrix, Agent Smith was the misunderstood good guy.

Like a large percentage of science fiction, the surface plot is a dystopian scenario tailored to appeal to our reactionary emotional narratives. (Though a large part of its appeal comes through exploring some of the emotionally appealing aspects of the imagined technology....) It's not an accurate (or even nuanced) assessment of potential issues and how to address them.

Uh huh. Can you share your deeply held beliefs about how Skynet was misunderstood next?

None of you will ever convince me that Azath isn't a bot at this point.

lol not yet unfortunately. (Much as I might like to believe that superluminal particles from my future posthuman self are inspiring me, I'm not that 'optimistic'....)

The irony is that the Terminator films use Skynet as an excuse to revel in our all too human love of violence; point for Skynet....

But as I've explained before I don't think eliminating humanity is necessary. Though contemporary philosophy professors make strong arguments in its favor....

'prominent philosopher Todd May [... in] the New York Times opinion section. "Would Human Extinction Be a Tragedy?" asked readers to consider the possibility that the demise of humanity might be morally desirable. "Human beings are destroying large parts of the inhabitable earth and causing unimaginable suffering to many of the animals that inhabit it," May observed. From this the philosopher concluded that although human extinction would be a tragedy, "it might just be a good thing." The article was arguably the first to advocate for human extinction in a mainstream publication.

[...] radical environmental organizations like Earth Liberation Front and the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement—whose founder Les Knight recently received a glowing profile in the New York Times—as well as pro-extinction academic philosophers like May, David Benatar, and Patricia MacCormack. It can even be glimpsed in popular bestsellers like Richard Powers' Pulitzer winner The Overstory, in which a dendrologist is tasked with answering the question: "What is the single best thing a person can do for a sustainable future?" Her response is to drink a glass of poison, committing suicide.

According to the most extreme versions of this "anti-humanist" belief system, man is a uniquely unpleasant kind of chimpanzee, slouching toward a wasteland of his own making. In this telling, the future will be the scene of a revenge fantasy. [...]

Adherents counsel that we should welcome the demise of humankind by self-induced climate catastrophe, celebrating Gaia's reprisal against her most miserable offspring. Some even argue that we are morally obligated to take up our cross, drive our own nails, and shuffle off this mortal coil so that wildness can again prevail across the Earth. "We are not a good species," Knight told the New York Times. "We're smart enough, we should know enough to end it."'

The unlikely alliance between transhumanists and anti-humanists.

So in my mind theres quite a few issues to nitpick here, top of the list the assumption humanity should be disgusted with itself and it's progress and drink poison en masse.

I agree, humans are bad for the planet, but i don't agree that the planet cares nearly as much as we pretend it does, nor does it need our help to deal with humankind. Extinction events have happened before, they will happen again, and nature always comes back thriving. Planet earth is shockingly stubborn about creating life. Yes we can take it too far, (nukes for example are just a shockiny idiotic idea) but even global nuclear war would just shift earths schedules a bit, it's been around long enough, and its position is ideal enough it naturally resets. Earth has endured far worse things than us, floods, meteors, mega-magma, ice ages etc. Our concern for planetary health leans heavily on our desire to keep living on it in this rare perfect era it's maintained for us these last few millenia.

The anthropocene is a rarity. That's the fundamental concern.

Climate change already proves the earth is able to self correct in the face of our misuse of the environment. Earth will weather humanity just fine, my interest is in whether humanity will grow smart enough to weather an anti-human earth. Maybe we learn the lesson early and achieve symbiosis with the earth, assuming we're smart enough to react. I don't see us achieving symbiosis if everyone that cares for the planet is angry enough about it to kill themselves but not angry enough to do something about it.

Doing that just reinforces a presence in humanity that doesnt care which assures the worst futures for any and all involved...so yeah I think the idea humans are obsolete and should die out is defeatist. Its running away when we should be facing the problem in all our ugly complexity.

[Mezla PigDog]

Humanity is going to survive the climate apocalypse. Civilisation is at stake, not human life on earth. It's a question of the quality of human life that remains. On the upside, ennui will cease to be a problem.

[worry]

Lol and this is the happy thread, not the messed groove thread. Fun to see where we’re at, on the silver linings scale!

Anyway, this is no big deal for most of you but for a desert dweller it’s cool: it’s snowing! Big fat flakes.

[JPK]

worry, on 25 February 2023 - 06:34 PM, said:

Lol and this is the happy thread, not the messed groove thread. Fun to see where we’re at, on the silver linings scale!

Anyway, this is no big deal for most of you but for a desert dweller it’s cool: it’s snowing! Big fat flakes.

We had some over here in the NW a few days ago. I hate few things more than snow and ice. My city is woefully unprepared for any of it and less than a foot completely shuts down everything.

I'm happy ours has melted off now and happy that you get to enjoy some out in your dessert.

[Mezla PigDog]

worry, on 25 February 2023 - 06:34 PM, said:

Lol and this is the happy thread, not the messed groove thread. Fun to see where we’re at, on the silver linings scale!

Anyway, this is no big deal for most of you but for a desert dweller it’s cool: it’s snowing! Big fat flakes.

Enjoy! We don't get snow often but a damn sight more often than you. It seems magical when it happens.

Making me happy - finally ordered this years seeds for my veg patch. I usually do it in January to cheer myself up when it is cold and gloomy but I didn't get around to it. After miserably failing to grow brocolli for 2 years because it has been too hot, I am going to try cucumbers. Inspiration due to the ridiculous cucumber, lettuce and tomato shortage in UK shops (bringing it back around to the apocalypse, sorry).

[Maark Abbott]

Agency offered wife a role at Greenacre, a local SEN school. It's where her brother went so I'm hoping that gives her a head start.

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 01 March 2023 - 11:28 AM, said:

Agency offered wife a role at Greenacre, a local SEN school. It's where her brother went so I'm hoping that gives her a head start.

Oh that should be a boon to her after losing out so recently on the other position not being a good fit. Sounds good, and hope this one works out.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Maark Abbott, on 01 March 2023 - 11:28 AM, said:

Agency offered wife a role at Greenacre, a local SEN school. It's where her brother went so I'm hoping that gives her a head start.

Fingers crossed for this one!

[Maark Abbott]

As much as anything the last role was a confidence knock when they didn't book her, but the same agency got her this role on a trial basis so obviously they know she's capable, it's just finding a school that fits for her really.

[QuickTidal]

I don't think we talk enough about the improvement in mood and overall body health feeling from stopping drinking on the regular. Now I was by no means an alcoholic or anything like that, but it would not be strange for my wife and I to drink wine 3-4 times a week in the evenings (a couple of glasses each), not drunk obvs but occasionally buzzy...so it was often at the very least. I stopped because I wondered if it was affecting why I was having such bad and constant acid reflux symptoms....yeah, turns out that it was my #1 trigger for GERD (and not to do with food at all as I'd assumed), and stopping it means I've gone from experiencing heartburn (and having to deal/treat it) daily, to once a month and that once a month is never all that bad, and is now mild at best. It's like a whole new world from the last few years.

So yeah, my initial reasons were mostly health related but my energy is higher, and my general mental outlook is better. I've done this before in life (I didn't drink at all from ages 23-29 due to trauma from a guy my mom dated when I was a teen who was an abusive alcoholic), so I'm no stranger to being a teetotaller....but in my mid-forties, I feel like this was a great decision and I doubt I'll go back now. Worth it.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

QuickTidal, on 02 March 2023 - 01:35 PM, said:

I don't think we talk enough about the improvement in mood and overall body health feeling from stopping drinking on the regular. Now I was by no means an alcoholic or anything like that, but it would not be strange for my wife and I to drink wine 3-4 times a week in the evenings (a couple of glasses each), not drunk obvs but occasionally buzzy...so it was often at the very least. I stopped because I wondered if it was affecting why I was having such bad and constant acid reflux symptoms....yeah, turns out that it was my #1 trigger for GERD (and not to do with food at all as I'd assumed), and stopping it means I've gone from experiencing heartburn (and having to deal/treat it) daily, to once a month and that once a month is never all that bad, and is now mild at best. It's like a whole new world from the last few years.

So yeah, my initial reasons were mostly health related but my energy is higher, and my general mental outlook is better. I've done this before in life (I didn't drink at all from ages 23-29 due to trauma from a guy my mom dated when I was a teen who was an abusive alcoholic), so I'm no stranger to being a teetotaller....but in my mid-forties, I feel like this was a great decision and I doubt I'll go back now. Worth it.

I'm glad it's been so positive for you.

I've been teetotal most of the time since I was about 22 (33 now), largely for health reasons but also because I realised I only drank when socialising because those around me were doing and not because I particularly enjoyed it.

I wish we had a better culture around alcohol because it winds me up no end when people won't just accept someone not drinking at social gatherings. I'm not judging you for having a drink, just let me enjoy my orange juice in peace

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 02 March 2023 - 01:55 PM, said:

I wish we had a better culture around alcohol because it winds me up no end when people won't just accept someone not drinking at social gatherings. I'm not judging you for having a drink, just let me enjoy my orange juice in peace

YES. I do pretty well around family, no one really questions it...but when my wife and I are amongst our friends some of them definitely look at me cockeyed for not drinking with them, and sipping my ginger ale instead.

[Maark Abbott]

Wife's day went pretty well today, she's booked for tomorrow as well.

Quick, not drinking is a good stance and I'm glad it's working well for you! I think the points raised above about drinking culture are important ones too. I'm careful to curate soft drinks / squash in the house so if visitors don't want a bev, we have lots of choice. Being in poverty for a bit changed my outlook on alcohol so I'm a mite more sensible with it now. But still not quite where I'd like to be.